SE Twin Cities

The closure of the ash landfill in Red Wing has hit some snags, including an issue with the bidding process and a clerical error, but Public Works Director Rick Moskwa said it could officially be closed by late summer. 

The city council recently agreed to accept bids for the closure work. This is the second time the council has done so. Bids were sought last year, Moskwa said. Estimates were considerably higher than expected because the request for bids was issued too late in the season.

Goodhue County is assisting with the closure. The county is working out details about who will haul the garbage to Red Wing. A haulers agreement is a required part of the new solid waste plan. The waste plan will be sent to the state after three months of mandatory talks. It will be the second time a waste plan will go out.

A clerical error derailed the landfill closure last year. Information about public hearings must run twice in the local paper. Residents can be notified about a public hearing after that happens. Greg Isakson, the Goodhue County Public Works director, found that information about a public hearing only appeared once in the newspaper. 

The actual closure – which is expected to cost at least $750,000 – can move forward after the public hearing. 

Moskwa said the site needs to be cleaned up before the contractor puts fill on it and covers the landfill with a membrane. It will then become part of the Minnesota Closed Landfill Program.